Board of Regents approve campus development plans for Nevada State College

The Nevada State College (NSC) proposal for the development of two new campus buildings received approval by the Board of Regents during the board meeting held Jan. 11. The development plans will now go to the Nevada Legislature Interim Finance Committee (IFC) for review Jan. 25.

The two buildings, a combined nursing and education facility, and a student center and administration building, will add approximately 100,000 square-feet of new space on the developing 509-acre campus in Henderson.

“Our student enrollment continues to rise due to increased student interest and improved student retention,” said NSC President Bart Patterson. “We’re eager to meet with the IFC and move forward with the campus development plans as our current facilities will not sustain our continued growth.”

NSC has increased its enrollment from 177 students in the fall of 2002 to 3,389 in the fall of 2012, making it the fastest growing institution of higher education in the state.

The 60,000 square-foot nursing and education building is planned to house several anatomy labs, over a dozen classrooms, a large auditorium, faculty and staff offices, and a cutting-edge media center. The second building, the 40,000 square-foot student center and administration building, will house the college’s student services departments, study and activity space for students, and offices for administration.

Currently, the NSC campus includes leased office space in downtown Henderson, the remodeled Dawson building and the Liberal Arts & Sciences building, which was the first building built on the 509-acre campus and opened in 2008.

The leased buildings in downtown are planned to close once the new buildings are opened.

“Having two separate campus locations creates a variety of challenges such as a decreased student experience and reduced faculty and staff collaboration,” added Patterson. “We look forward to physically uniting the NSC campus community with the opening of both new buildings in the future.”

Upon final approval from the IFC and the Board of Regents, construction is estimated to begin later this year, utilizing repurposed funds from discontinued building leases in downtown Henderson, capital funding, as well as a $150 student-approved fee.